How Hill Hillfort

Site Details:

How Hill, near Downholme in North Yorkshire, is the site of a large univallate hillfort.

The hillfort occupies a strategic position, commanding access to upper Swaledale and overseeing the route leading south to the Vale of York.

Its defining features include a rampart and ditch, particularly visible on the western and northern sides.

The rampart is about 2.5 meters wide and stands 0.3 meters above the ground, while the ditch, enhanced by the natural slope, is approximately 5.8 meters wide.

There's also a counterscarp bank that measures 1.9 meters across and 0.5 meters above the ditch level.

Historical records suggest that much of the eastern and southern ramparts were destroyed during medieval times due to agricultural activities.

However, aerial photography has revealed that the summit was once fully enclosed, with the now unfilled ditch still traceable, and the patterns of ancient ploughing following the former extent of the rampart circuit. On the less cultivated western and northern perimeters, substantial lengths of the rampart and ditch have survived.

These remnants provide valuable insights into the Iron Age period, most likely dating the construction and use of the hillfort between the fourth century BC and the first century AD.